Plural-lamp socket.



No. 721,775. PATENTED'MAR. a,-190s..

R; -B. BENJAMIN. Y

PLURAL LAMP SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9, 1901. no MODEL. 2 sums-sum 1.

No. 721,776. PATENTED MARJ3, 1903.

R. B. BENJAMIN. PLURAL LAMP SOCKET.

.APPLIGATION FILED DBO. 9, 1901. N0 MODEL.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE BENJAMINELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COR- PORATION OFILLINOIS.

PLU RAL-LAM P SOCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,775, dated March 3,1903.

Original application filed May 20, 1898. Renewed August 10, 1901, SerialNo. 71,635. Divided and this application filed December 9, 1901. SerialNo. 85,205. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Plural-Lamp Sockets, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description,referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecificatiom' My invention relates to a plural lamp socket, my objectbeing to provide a compact and cheaply-constructed form of socket for acluster of incandescent lamps.

Thisapplication is a division of my application filed May 20, 1898,Serial No. 681,202, renewed August 10, 1901, Serial No. 71,635.

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a plural socket embodying myinvention,taken on line 1 1, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of amodification of a similar socket on line 2 2, Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a planview of Fig. 1 with the supporting casing or bracket and theinsulating-base removed. Fig. 4 is a plan View 2 of the modificationshown in Fig. 2 with like parts removed. Fig. 5 is a sectional view ofthe invention adapted to accommodate .the Thomson-Houston type of lampand taken on line 5 5, Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the 0modification shown in Fig. 5 with the insulating-base removed, and Fig.7 is a similar plan view of the general type of socket forming thesubject-matter of this application.

Like letters refer to like parts in the several figures.

Upon the under side of an insulating-base a, as shown in Fig. 1, issupported a bowlshaped contact-plate consisting of the several sectionsb b h, each section itself constituting a separate contact-plate and allsections united to form the composite plate referred to. These sectionshave oblique side walls and are secured at their upper edges to theinsulating base by means of suitable screws a. Upon the oblique sidewalls are mounted the threaded shells b to receive the lamp-bases.Within these contact-plates and supported upon the insulatin g-base isanother composite contact-plate formed of the sections 0 c o and whichin the present form have upturned rim portions 0, which constitute thecontacts adapted to be engaged by the central terminals of the lamp whenthe base thereof is screwed into the shells b. These center plates orcenter contacts are secured to the base a by means of suitable screws 0One of the conductors d is connected with the binding-screw d, providedupon one of the plates, as 0 and the other conductor 01 is connectedwith a bindingscrew d mounted upon one of the outer plates, as 1) b bymeans of which the electric circuit is extended to the several contacts.v. A casing e surrounds the lower portion of the socket, having openingsto accommodate the shells b and having upon the rear end and centrallysituated relatively to the individual sockets a removable cap 6, which-may be removed when it is desired to gain access to the binding-screwsd d per portion of the socket is also inclosed within a metal shell,casing, or bracket 6 sup- The upthe current passes from this plate tothe ring 8 5 terminal of the corresponding lamp, thence through the lampto the central terminal and to the plate 0 which overlaps plates 6 and bCurrent is then passed from plate 0 through lamp in the second socket toplate 0 b which overlaps plates 0 and 0 The current passes through thethird lamp of the cluster to plate 0 which overlaps plates 12 and b andthen through the fourth lamp of the cluster to plate 6 which overlapsplate c and a The circuit is thence through the fifth lamp to the plate0 which, as shown, is connected with the opposite side of the circuitthrough the bracket d. By making the outer and inner contact-plates insections which relatively overlap the several lamps of the group or asmany thereof as may be desired may be connected in series through theagency of the overlapping contact-plates and without the necessity ofemploying connecting-wires between the several parts of the cluster. Itwill be noticed that the segment Not the bowl-shaped plate constitutesin itself an individual contact-plate.

In Figs. 2 and 4 I have illustrated a modification wherein theinsulating-base or takes the form of a ring of insulating material,which may be separated from the casing or supporting-bracket 6 as shownparticularly in Fig. 2. Upon the sections of the outer contactplate(designated, respectively, by b b and b) is supported aninsulating-block g, upon the upper face of which is mounted the innercontact-sections c c and 0 the rim 0 of which constitutes the contactsof the central terminals of the lamps. The sections of these inner andouter contact-plates are relatively overlapping, as in Figs. 1 and 2,whereby the same series connection of the lamps is secured. Aninsulating-bushing h is illustrated as interposed between the threadedshell I) and the casing e, which bushing serves to insulate the twometallic parts and to aline the apertures in the contact-plates b b bwith those in the casing e, as well as to hold and support the saidcasinge in position upon the cluster. The conductors d and d in thisform of the invention are brought in through the pipe a and areconnected, respectively, with the central contact-plate c and the outercontact-plate N.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have illustrated a socket adapted for lamps havingfeatures of the Thomson-Houston type. The sections b b and b of theouter contact-plate are similarly supported upon the insulating-base a,which in the present instance is shown as the base of a wall-socketadapted to be secured to the wall bymeaus of screws (1 (L Thering-terminal of the lamp-base is adapted to engage the oblique side ofthe outer contact-plate, while the centrally-screw-threaded contact ofthe lamp is adapted to screw upon the post 0 a number of said postsbeing mounted upon a metal base divided into sections 0 c a as before,said sections being screwed to the under side of the insulating-base a,as shown in Fig. 5. These sections and those of the outer plate arerelatively overlapping, as explained in connection with Figs. 1 and 2,by reason of which the lamps are connected in circuit in series. Theconductor (1 is connected, by means of a bindingscrew d, with thecentral contact-section 0 while the contact-plate b is connected, bymeans of a similar bindingpost d with the other terminal of the electriccircuit (V. A cover e incloses the middle portions of the cluster, as inthe for'nerinstances.

In Fig. 7 a general plan view is shown which clearly indicates theoverlapping sections of the inner and outer contact-plates, whichgeneral arrangement extends throughout all of the forms of theinvention.

While I have described the invention with particular reference to thedetails of construction and as applied to the series form of cluster, Iwould have it understood that it is not to be so limited and that manyof these features may be applied to any cluster.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with an insulatingbase, of a plurality ofcontact-plates mounted upon said base and arranged abouta common center,said plates carrying the outer contacts for the lamps, inner contactsfor the lamps suitably supported, and a cover having openings toaccommodate the lamps, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an insulatingbase, of a plurality ofconcentrically-arranged contact-plates mounted upon said base andcarrying the outer contacts for the lamps, center contacts for the lampssuitably supported, and a cover having openings to accommodate thelamps, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a base, of a plurality of separate contactcarrying parts mounted upon said base and arranged about a commoncenter, associated lamp-holding devices for holding the lamps inoperative position, and a cover having an opening opposite eachlamp-holding device, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a base, of a plurality of separate metallicparts mounted directly upon said base and carrying the contacts for theouter lamp-terminals, center contactsv suitably supported, lamp-holdingdevices for maintaining the lamps in operative position, and a coverhaving an opening opposite each lamp-holding device, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination with a base, of a plurality of separate metallicparts mounted directly upon said base and having shell-like threadedportions constituting the lam p-holding devices and the outer contactsfor the lamp-terminals, center contacts suitably supported, and a coverhaving an opening opposite each of said threaded portions, substantiallyas described.

6. The combination with a base, of a contact-plate mounted thereon andhaving an oblique side wall provided with an opening to accommodate thecentral lamp and socket terminals, an associated lamp-holding device anda center contact suitably supported, substantially as described.

7. The combination with an insulating-base, of a plurality ofcontact-plates having oblique side walls carried by the base, theapproached or adjacent ends of said plates being suitably securedtogether while theirother ends are secured to the base and centercontacts for the lamps, substantially as described.

8. In a plural-lamp socket, the combination with an insulating-base, ofa plurality of contact-plates having oblique side walls carried by thebase, and secured thereto by their outer ends, a ring secured to theirapproached or adjacent ends, and center contacts for the lamps,substantially as described.

' 9. In a plural-lamp socket, the combination with an insulating-base,of a plurality of contact-plates having oblique side walls carried bythe base, and secured thereto by their outer ends, an insulating-ringsecured to their approached or adjacent ends, and center contacts forthe lamps,substantially as described.

10. The combination with an insulatingbase,of a bowl-shaped contactelement formed of a plurality of sections or plates having oblique sidewalls, said plates carrying the outer contacts forthe lamps, and innercontacts for the lamps suitably supported, substantially as described.

11. In a plural-lamp socket, the combination with an insulating-base, ofa bowl-shaped contact element formed of a plurality of plates orsections having oblique side walls, a plurality of contacts for thering-terminals of the lamps arranged concentrically around said obliqueside walls, and a series of contactplates for the central terminals ofthe lamps mounted within and insulated from the oblique side walls ofsaid sectional contactplates, means adapted to secure the lamps inoperative relation with said contacts, the sections of said outercontact-plates and said inner contacts being arranged to alternatelyoverlap, whereby the lamps are connected to-- gether in series,substantially as described.

12. In a plural-lamp socket, the combination with a suitable base, of acontact element of conducting material mounted thereon and comprising aplurality of plates or sections having oblique side walls and providedwith a plurality of openings to accommodate the central lamp and socketterminals and carrying the contacts for the ring-terminals of thelamps,center contacts forthe lam ps, means adapted to secure the lampsin operative relation with said contacts, and electrical connectionsbetween said contacts to include a plurality of lamps in series,substantially as described.

13. In a plural-lamp socket, the combination with a contact elementcarrying the terminals for the ring-contacts of the lamps and formed ofa plurality of sections,'of terminals for the center lamp-contactscooperating with said sections, means adapted to secure the lamps inoperative relation with said contacts, and electrical connectionsbetween said terminals to include a plurality of lamps in series,substantially as described.

14. In a plural-lamp socket, the combination with a contact elementformed of a plurality of sections of conducting material proapluralityof lamps'in series, substantially as described.

. 15. Asuitablebase,apluralityoflamp-holding devices and associatedcontacts mounted thereon, an inclosing casing having an opening oppositeeach lamp-holding device to accommodate the lamp-bases, and contactstrips or plates between the contacts of said lampholding devices toconnect the lamps in series.

16. A suitable base,a plurality of lamp-holding devices and associatedcontacts mounted thereon, an inclosing casing having an opening oppositeeach lamp-holding device to accommodate the lamp-bases, and contactstrips or plates supported upon said base and extending between saidcontacts to connect the lamps in series.

17. The combination with a suitable base, of a contact elementcomprising a plurality of plates or sections of conducting materialprovided with a plurality of openings to accommodate the lamps,lamp-holding devices and associated contacts, said contact-platecarrying one contact of each lamp-holding device, and the other contactthereof being suitably supported, said sections or plates and contactsbeing arranged to connect the lamps in series.

18. In a cluster-fixture, the combination with a base of insulatingmaterial, of lampsockets each having a shell and a center contact,plates mounted directly on said base connecting together theshell-contacts of one pair of sockets, and a conducting-strip connectingthe center contacts of another pair of sockets, one socket being commonto each of said pairs, whereby all the lamps are connected in series.

19. In a plural-lamp socket, the combination with an insulating-base, ofa plurality of lamp-holding-devices and associated contacts mountedthereon, a pair of binding-posts carried by the socket to connect itwith the conductors of the electric circuit, and conductors extendingbetween said contacts so as to connect said lamps in series between saidbinding posts, substantially as described.

20. In a plural-lamp socket, the combination With an insulating-base, ofa plurality of lamp-holding devices and associated contacts mountedthereon, a pair of binding-posts carried by the socket to connect thesame in the electric circuit, conducting strips or plates to connectadjacent pairs of inner contacts together and alternate pairs of outercontacts together, and means to connect the first and last contact ofthe series with the binding- &

contact-plates mounted thereon, each provided with an opening toaccommodate the central lamp and socket terminals, an associatedlamp-holding device for each opening and a center contact thereforsuitably supported, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence oftwo witnesses.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN.

Witnesses:

ROBERT LEWIS AMES, M. R. ROCHFORD.

